Slip ring assembly for surgical instrument
A surgical instrument includes a body assembly, a shaft assembly extending distally from the body assembly along a shaft axis, and an end effector at a distal end of the shaft assembly. The shaft assembly includes an outer tube configured to rotate relative to the body assembly about the shaft axis. The surgical instrument further includes a slip ring assembly configured to enable electrical communication between the shaft assembly and the body assembly while permitting relative rotation therebetween. The slip ring assembly includes a first electrical contact supported by the outer tube, and a second electrical contact electrically coupled with the first electrical contact and positioned radially outward of the outer tube. The first electrical contact is configured to rotate with the outer tube about the shaft axis relative to the second electrical contact while the first and second electrical contacts remain electrically coupled.
Latest Cilag GmbH International Patents:
- VARIABLE IMAGE SENSOR SETTINGS ON A PER-FRAME BASIS
- Optical filter for improved multispectral imaging performance in stereo camera
- Modular energy system for use in a surgical environment
- Surgical instruments with sled location detection and adjustment features
- Combination ultrasonic and electrosurgical instrument having curved ultrasonic blade
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/836,256, entitled “Slip Ring Assembly for Surgical Instrument,” filed Mar. 31, 2020, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,439,393 on Sep. 13, 2022, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/934,190, entitled “Slip Ring Assembly for Surgical Instrument,” filed Mar. 23, 2018, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,631,861 on Apr. 28, 2020.
BACKGROUNDEndoscopic surgical instruments may be preferred over traditional open surgical devices in certain instances to create a smaller surgical incision in the patient and thereby reduce the post-operative recovery time and complications. Examples of endoscopic surgical instruments include surgical staplers. Some such staplers are operable to clamp down on layers of tissue, cut through the clamped layers of tissue, and drive staples through the layers of tissue to substantially seal the severed layers of tissue together near the severed ends of the tissue layers. Merely exemplary surgical staplers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,404,508, entitled “Surgical Stapling and Cutting Device,” issued Jul. 29, 2008; U.S. Pat. No. 7,721,930, entitled “Disposable Cartridge with Adhesive for Use with a Stapling Device,” issued May 25, 2010; U.S. Pat. No. 8,408,439, entitled “Surgical Stapling Instrument with An Articulatable End Effector,” issued Apr. 2, 2013; U.S. Pat. No. 8,453,914, entitled “Motor-Driven Surgical Cutting Instrument with Electric Actuator Directional Control Assembly,” issued Jun. 4, 2013; U.S. Pat. No. 9,186,142, entitled “Surgical Instrument End Effector Articulation Drive with Pinion and Opposing Racks,” issued Nov. 17, 2015; and U.S. Pat. No. 9,795,379, entitled “Surgical Instrument with Multi-Diameter Shaft,” issued Oct. 24, 2017. The disclosure of each of the above-cited U.S. patents is incorporated by reference herein.
While the surgical staplers referred to above are described as being used in endoscopic procedures, such surgical staplers may also be used in open procedures and/or other non-endoscopic procedures. By way of example only, a surgical stapler may be inserted through a thoracotomy, and thereby between a patient's ribs, to reach one or more organs in a thoracic surgical procedure that does not use a trocar as a conduit for the stapler. Of course, surgical staplers may be used in various other settings and procedures.
While several surgical instruments and systems have been made and used, it is believed that no one prior to the inventors has made or used the invention described in the appended claims.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and, together with the general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.
The drawings are not intended to be limiting in any way, and it is contemplated that various embodiments of the invention may be carried out in a variety of other ways, including those not necessarily depicted in the drawings. The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements shown.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONThe following description of certain examples of the invention should not be used to limit the scope of the present invention. Other examples, features, aspects, embodiments, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description, which is by way of illustration, one of the best modes contemplated for carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other different and obvious aspects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.
For clarity of disclosure, the terms “proximal” and “distal” are defined herein relative to a surgeon, clinician, or other operator, grasping a surgical instrument having a distal surgical end effector. The term “proximal” refers to the position of an element arranged closer to the surgeon, and the term “distal” refers to the position of an element arranged closer to the surgical end effector of the surgical instrument and further away from the surgeon. Moreover, to the extent that spatial terms such as “upper,” “lower,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” or the like are used herein with reference to the drawings, it will be appreciated that such terms are used for exemplary description purposes only and are not intended to be limiting or absolute. In that regard, it will be understood that surgical instruments such as those disclosed herein may be used in a variety of orientations and positions not limited to those shown and described herein.
As used herein, the terms “about” and “approximately” for any numerical values or ranges indicate a suitable dimensional tolerance that allows the part or collection of components to function for its intended purpose as described herein.
I. Exemplary Surgical Stapling InstrumentA. Handle Assembly of Surgical Stapling Instrument
Handle assembly (12) comprises a body (20) that includes a pistol grip (22) configured to be grasped by a clinician, and a closure trigger (24) configured to pivot toward and away from pistol grip (22) to selectively close and open end effector (16), as described in greater detail below. In the present example, end effector (16) is configured to cut and staple tissue captured by end effector (16). In other examples, end effector (16) may be configured to treat tissue via application of various other types of movements and energies, such as radio frequency (RF) energy and/or ultrasonic energy, for example.
As seen in
Handle assembly body (20) further supports a second drive system in the form of a firing drive system (40) configured to apply firing motions to corresponding portions of interchangeable shaft assembly (14) and its end effector (16). In the present example, firing drive system (40) employs an electric motor (42) that is housed within pistol grip (22) of handle assembly (12) and is operatively coupled with end effector (16), as described below. Electric motor (42) may be of any suitable type, such as a DC brushed motor, a brushless motor, a cordless motor, a synchronous motor, a stepper motor, or any other suitable type of electric motor. Electric motor (42) is powered by a power source shown in the form of a power pack (44) removably coupled to a proximal portion of handle assembly body (20). Power pack (44) includes one or more batteries (not shown) of any suitable type, and may be rechargeable or replaceable.
As seen in
Electric motor (42) is energized by battery pack (44) in response to actuation of a firing trigger (50), which is pivotally supported by handle assembly (12) as best seen in
As shown best in
B. Interchangeable Shaft Assembly of Surgical Stapling Instrument
As shown in
End effector (16) includes a first jaw comprising an elongate channel (70) that receives a cartridge (72), and a second jaw comprising an anvil (74) configured to pivot relative to channel (70) between open and closed positions for clamping tissue between anvil (74) and cartridge (72). Cartridge (72) is shown in the form of a conventional staple cartridge having features described in greater detail below, and is configured to fire a plurality of staples into tissue clamped by end effector (16). In other examples, end effector (16) may be suitably configured to apply a variety of other types of motions and energies to tissue captured by end effector (16), such as radio frequency (RF) energy and/or ultrasonic energy, for example. For instance, cartridge (72) may be configured to apply RF to tissue as generally disclosed in U.S. Ser. No. 15/636,096, entitled “Surgical System Couplable With Staple Cartridge And Radio Frequency Cartridge, And Method Of Using Same,” filed Jun. 28, 2017, published as U.S. Pub. No. 2019/0000478 on Jan. 3, 2019, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,298,128 on Apr. 12, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Anvil (74) of end effector (16) is operatively coupled with closure drive system (30) of handle assembly (12), and is configured to pivot between open and closed positions, about a pivot axis that extends transversely to shaft axis (SA), in response to actuation of closure trigger (24). In particular, anvil (74) is configured to as assume an open position when closure trigger (24) is in the unactuated position, and a closed position when closure trigger (24) depressed to the actuated position. Anvil (74) is coupled with closure drive system (30) via proximal closure tube (62) and distal closure tube segment (66), among other components described below. Proximal closure tube (62) and distal closure tube segment (66) are configured to translate proximally and distally relative to nozzle (60) to thereby actuate anvil (74) about its pivot axis in response to actuation of closure trigger (24).
Articulation joint (64) is configured to provide articulation of end effector (16) relative to proximal closure tube (62) and corresponding components of shaft assembly (14) about an articulation axis (AA) that extends transversely to shaft axis (SA). In some examples, end effector (16) may be articulated to a desired orientation by pushing end effector (16) against soft tissue and/or bone within the patient. In other examples, end effector (16) may be articulated by an articulation driver (not shown).
As best seen in
As seen best in
As seen best in
C. Electrical Connections Within Surgical Instrument
Interchangeable shaft assembly (14) and variations thereof that are suitable for use with handle assembly (12) may employ one or more sensors and/or various other electrical components that require electrical communication with handle circuit board (46) of handle assembly (12). For instance, a proximal portion of shaft assembly (14) and/or end effector (16) may include one or more sensors (see e.g.,
As shown in
The distal face of proximal connector flange (122) of slip ring assembly (120) includes a plurality of annular conductors (128) arranged substantially concentrically. The proximal face of distal connector flange (124) supports one or more electrical coupling members (130) each supporting a plurality of electrical contacts (not shown). Each electrical contact is positioned to contact a respective annular conductor (128) of proximal connector flange (122). Such an arrangement permits relative rotation between proximal connector flange (122) and distal connector flange (124) while maintaining electrical contact therebetween. Proximal connector flange (122) includes an electrical connector (132) extending proximally from a proximal face of proximal connector flange (122). Electrical connector (132) is configured to electrically couple annular conductors (128) with a shaft circuit board (134), shown schematically in
D. Attachment of Interchangeable Shaft Assembly to Handle Assembly
As described in greater detail below, interchangeable shaft assembly (14) is configured to be releasably coupled with handle assembly (12). It will be appreciated that various other types of interchangeable shaft assemblies having end effectors configured for various types of surgical procedures may be used in combination with handle assembly (12) described above.
As shown best in
As shown in
In various examples, surgical instrument (10) may be further configured in accordance with one or more teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 9,345,481, entitled “Staple Cartridge Tissue Thickness Sensor System,” issued May 24, 2016; U.S. Pat. No. 8,608,045, entitled “Powered Surgical Cutting and Stapling Apparatus With Manually Retractable Firing System,” issued Dec. 17, 2013; U.S. Ser. No. 15/635,663, entitled “Method For Articulating A Surgical Instrument,” filed Jun. 28, 2017, published as U.S. Pub. No. 2019/0000465 on Jan. 3, 2019, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,765,427 on Sep. 8, 2020; U.S. Ser. No. 15/635,631, entitled “Surgical Instrument With Axially Moveable Movable Closure Member,” filed Jun. 28, 2017, published as U.S. Pub. No. 2019/000464 on Jan. 3, 2019, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,639,037 on May 5, 2022; U.S. Ser. No. 15/635,837, entitled “Surgical Instrument Comprising An Articulation System Lockable To A Frame,” filed Jun. 28, 2017, published as U.S. Pub. No. 2019/0000472 on Jan. 3, 2019, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,246,592 on Feb. 15, 2022; U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2016/0066911, entitled “Smart Cartridge Wake Up Operation And Data Retention,” published Mar. 10, 2016, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,135,242 on Nov. 20, 2018; U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2015/0272575, entitled “Surgical Instrument Comprising A Sensor System,” published Oct. 1, 2015, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,913,642 on Mar. 13, 2018; U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2014/0263552, entitled “Staple Cartridge Tissue Thickness Sensor System,” published Sep. 18, 2014, now abandoned; and/or U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2014/0263541, entitled “Articulatable Surgical Instrument Comprising An Articulation Lock,” published Sep. 18, 2014, now abandoned the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein.
E. Exemplary End Effector With Sensors
In some instances, it may be desirable to provide the end effector of a surgical instrument with one or more sensors for sensing various operating conditions of the end effector. Such sensed conditions can then be communicated as electrical signals to a controller of the surgical instrument, such as a controller of shaft circuit board (134) and/or handle circuit board (46) of instrument (10) described above. The controller(s) may then take one or more actions in response to receiving such signals, such as providing one or more indications to the clinician operating the instrument.
End effector (160) differs from end effector (16) in that end effector (160) includes a first sensor (170) disposed on a tissue clamping side of anvil (166), and a plurality of second sensors (172) spaced along a length of channel (162). In other versions, one or more sensors, such as one or more of second sensors (172), may be provided on staple cartridge (164). In the present example, first sensor (170) is configured to detect one or more conditions of end effector (160), such as a gap (G) between anvil (166) and staple cartridge (164), which may correspond to a thickness of tissue (168) clamped by end effector (160). Second sensors (172) are also configured to detect one or more conditions of end effector (160) and/or of tissue (168) clamped by end effector (160). For instance, second sensors (172) may be configured to detect one or more conditions such as a color of staple cartridge (164), a length of staple cartridge (164), a clamping condition of end effector (160), and/or the number of actual and/or remaining uses of end effector (160) and/or staple cartridge (164), for example. While end effector (160) is shown having one first sensor (160) and four second sensors (172), various other suitable quantities and arrangements of sensors (170, 172) may be provided in other examples.
Each sensor (170, 172) may comprise any sensor type suitable for measuring the respective one or more conditions of end effector (160). For instance, each sensor (170, 172) may comprise a magnetic sensor (e.g., a Hall effect sensor), a strain gauge, a pressure sensor, an inductive sensor (e.g., an eddy current sensor), a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, or an optical sensor, for example. Each sensor (170, 172) is configured to communicate electrical signals corresponding to a sensed condition of end effector (160) to shaft circuit board (134), which may in turn communicate information based on the signals to handle circuit board (46), via slip ring assembly (120) described above.
It should be understood that channel (162) may selectively receive staple cartridge (164) such that staple cartridge (164) may be attached to channel (162), used in accordance with the description herein, removed from channel (162), and replaced with an unused, second staple cartridge (164). Therefore, in versions in which second sensors (172) are provided on staple cartridge (164), second sensors (172) may be configured to selectively establish an electrical connection with shaft circuit board (134) once staple cartridge (164) is suitably coupled to channel (162). In the current example, second sensors (172) each include an electrical contact (174), while channel (162) includes a plurality of electrical contacts (180). Corresponding contacts (174, 180) are dimensioned to electrically couple with each other when staple cartridge (164) is suitably coupled with channel (162). Additionally, channel (162) includes electrical traces (182) extending from contacts (180) all the way to electrical coupling member (130) of slip ring assembly (120). Therefore, when staple cartridge (164) is suitably coupled with channel (162), second sensors (172) are in electrical communication with shaft circuit board (134).
II. Exemplary Slip Ring Assembly with Axially Spaced Electrical ContactsDuring use of surgical instrument (10) in surgical procedures, certain electrical components of instrument (10) may be vulnerable to fluid ingress, which can undesirably cause shorting of corresponding electrical pathways in instrument (10). For instance, a conductive fluid bridge could form between two or more of annular electrical contacts (128) of slip ring assembly (120), allowing an electrical short circuit to occur through the fluid bridge. Such electrical short circuiting could result in the failure of one or more electrical systems of surgical instrument (10). The exemplary slip ring assembly (200) described below includes various features that are configured to prevent electrical shorting between its electrical contacts in the presence of fluid. Similar to slip ring assembly (120) described above, slip ring assembly (200) is configured to enable electrical communication between shaft assembly (14) and handle assembly (12) while permitting relative rotation therebetween.
As shown in
As shown best in
Proximal flange (212) of contact sleeve (202) includes an electrical connector (216) that is configured to couple with a distal electrical connector portion (218) of shaft circuit board (134), which projects distally through an opening (220) formed in chassis flange (126). Electrical connector (216) is electrically coupled with ring contacts (204) via outer leads (222). Electrical connectors (216, 218) are configured to releasably couple together, for example via snap-fit engagement, to define an in-line slip connection that enables selective assembly and disassembly of slip ring assembly (200) along shaft axis (SA), for example for cleaning purposes. Electrical connectors (216, 218) thus cooperate to electrically couple slip ring assembly (200) with shaft circuit board (134). Shaft circuit board (134), in turn, is electrically coupled with the electrical components of handle assembly (12), including handle circuit board (46), via engagement of shaft electrical connector (152) with handle electrical connector (156) in the manner described above. It will be understood that shaft and handle electrical connectors (152, 156) may be substituted with alternative electrical connectors of the exemplary types disclosed in the references incorporated by reference herein.
As shown in
As shown best in
As shown best in
As shown best in
In one example, a first coupled pair of high-power contacts (204a, 208a) correspond to a high-power active path, and the second coupled pair of high-power contacts (204a, 208a) correspond to a high-power return path. Similarly, a first coupled pair of low-power contacts (204b, 208b) correspond to a low-power active path, and the second coupled pair of low-power contacts (204b, 208b) correspond to a low-power return path. While the exemplary version of slip ring assembly (200) shown and described herein includes four ring contacts (204) and four brush contacts (208), various other suitable quantities of contacts (204, 208) may be provided in other versions to accommodate various quantities of electrical pathways.
As noted above, each ring contact (204) and each brush contact (208) is spaced axially from the other ring contacts (204) and the other brush contacts (208), respectively, by an axial distance suitable to achieve a minimum impedance that prevents electrical shorting among ring contacts (204) and among brush contacts (208) in the presence of fluid. In particular, each high-power source contact (204a, 208a) is spaced axially from the respective high-power return contact (204a, 208a) by an axial distance suitable to prevent electrical shorting therebetween in the presence of fluid. Similarly, each low-power source contact (204b, 208b) is spaced axially from the respective low-power return contact (204b, 208b) by an axial distance suitable to prevent electrical shorting therebetween in the presence of fluid. Additionally, each individual ring contact (204) is spaced axially from the one or more immediately adjacent ring contacts (204) by an axial distance suitable to prevent electrical shorting therebetween in the presence of fluid. Likewise, each individual brush contact (208) is spaced axially from the one or more immediately adjacent ring contacts (204) by an axial distance suitable to prevent electrical shorting therebetween in the presence of fluid.
In one example, each high-power ring contact (204a) may have an axial width (W1) of approximately 0.100 inches, and each low-power ring contact (204b) may have an axial width (W2) of approximately 0.050 inches. Additionally, low-power ring contacts (204b) may be spaced apart by a second axial distance (X2) of approximately 0.050 inches, and each low-power ring contact (204b) may be spaced axially from the immediately adjacent high-power ring contact (204a) by a third axial distance (X3) of approximately 0.100 inches.
It may be desirable to provide a distal portion of shaft assembly (14) with an electrical connector to facilitate electrical coupling of one or more sensors or other electrical elements of shaft assembly (14) with a slip ring assembly of surgical instrument (10), such as one of slip ring assemblies (120, 200).
As shown in
Multi-part, mixable epoxy may also be used in connection with either of connectors (250, 260) described above, as well as various other configurations of electrical connector (240). For instance, connector (250, 260) may include an epoxy capsule that is configured to be ruptured by locking lever (254, 264) when lever (254, 264) is pivoted from its open position to its closed position. Epoxy would then cure while lever (254, 264) remains in its closed position, thereby strengthening the electrical connector established by connector (260). In other examples, any configuration of electrical connector (240), including those described above, may be coated with a suitable thermoplastic, such as TECHNOMELT®, in whole or in part to prevent unintended disengagement of wires from electrical connector (240) after assembly.
IV. Exemplary CombinationsThe following examples relate to various non-exhaustive ways in which the teachings herein may be combined or applied. It should be understood that the following examples are not intended to restrict the coverage of any claims that may be presented at any time in this application or in subsequent filings of this application. No disclaimer is intended. The following examples are being provided for nothing more than merely illustrative purposes. It is contemplated that the various teachings herein may be arranged and applied in numerous other ways. It is also contemplated that some variations may omit certain features referred to in the below examples. Therefore, none of the aspects or features referred to below should be deemed critical unless otherwise explicitly indicated as such at a later date by the inventors or by a successor in interest to the inventors. If any claims are presented in this application or in subsequent filings related to this application that include additional features beyond those referred to below, those additional features shall not be presumed to have been added for any reason relating to patentability.
Example 1A surgical instrument, comprising: (a) a body assembly; (b) a shaft assembly extending distally from the body assembly along a shaft axis, wherein the shaft assembly includes an outer tube configured to rotate relative to the body assembly about the shaft axis; (c) an end effector at a distal end of the shaft assembly, wherein the end effector is operable to treat tissue; and (d) a slip ring assembly configured to enable electrical communication between the shaft assembly and the body assembly while permitting relative rotation therebetween, wherein the slip ring assembly comprises: (i) a first electrical contact supported by the outer tube, and (ii) a second electrical contact positioned radially outward of the outer tube, wherein the first and second electrical contacts are electrically coupled together, wherein the first electrical contact is configured to rotate with the outer tube about the shaft axis relative to the second electrical contact while the first and second electrical contacts remain electrically coupled.
Example 2The surgical instrument of Example 1, wherein the slip ring assembly is disposed at a proximal end of the shaft assembly.
Example 3The surgical instrument of any of the preceding Examples, wherein the shaft assembly further comprises a nozzle, wherein the slip ring assembly is housed within the nozzle.
Example 4The surgical instrument of any of the preceding Examples, wherein the slip ring assembly further comprises a contact support structure that supports the second electrical contact, wherein the contact support structure is rotationally fixed relative to the body assembly.
Example 5The surgical instrument of Example 4, wherein the shaft assembly includes a chassis that rotatably supports the outer tube, wherein the contact support structure is coupled to the chassis.
Example 6The surgical instrument of Example 5, wherein the contact support structure extends distally from the chassis.
Example 7The surgical instrument of any of Examples 4 through 6, wherein the contact support structure comprises a sleeve, wherein the sleeve encircles the outer tube and the first electrical contact.
Example 8The surgical instrument of any of the preceding Examples, wherein one of the first electrical contact or the second electrical contact comprises a ring contact, wherein the other of the first electrical contact or the second electrical contact comprises a brush contact.
Example 9The surgical instrument of Example 8, wherein the brush contact includes an angled distal edge, wherein the angled distal edge is configured to promote sliding engagement of the first contact with the second contact in a direction parallel to the shaft axis.
Example 10The surgical instrument of any of the preceding Examples, wherein the slip ring assembly includes a plurality of first electrical contacts spaced axially and supported by the outer tube, and a plurality of second electrical contacts spaced axially and positioned radially outward of the first electrical contacts, wherein the first electrical contacts are configured to rotate with the outer tube relative to the second electrical contacts while remaining electrically coupled with the second electrical contacts.
Example 11The surgical instrument of Example 10, wherein the first electrical contacts are spaced apart with non-uniform axial spacing, wherein the second electrical contacts are spaced apart with non-uniform axial spacing.
Example 12The surgical instrument of Example 10, wherein the slip ring assembly further comprises a contact support structure that supports the second electrical contacts, wherein each adjacent pair of the second electrical contacts is separated by an electrically insulating barrier.
Example 13The surgical instrument of Example 12, wherein the electrically insulating barrier is defined by the contact support structure.
Example 14The surgical instrument of any of Examples 12 through 13, wherein the electrically insulating barrier comprises an electrically insulating element coupled to the contact support structure.
Example 15The surgical instrument of any of the preceding Examples, wherein the shaft assembly is configured to releasably attach to the body assembly, wherein the body assembly includes a first electrical connector, wherein the shaft assembly includes a second electrical connector configured to electrically couple with the first electrical connector when the shaft assembly is attached to the body assembly.
Example 16A surgical instrument, comprising: (a) a body assembly; (b) a shaft assembly extending distally from the body assembly along a shaft axis, wherein the shaft assembly includes an outer tube configured to rotate relative to the body assembly about the shaft axis; (c) an end effector at a distal end of the shaft assembly, wherein the end effector is operable to treat tissue; and (d) a slip ring assembly configured to enable electrical communication between the shaft assembly and the body assembly while permitting relative rotation therebetween, wherein the slip ring assembly comprises: (i) a plurality of brush contacts spaced axially along the shaft axis, and (ii) a plurality of ring contacts spaced axially along the shaft axis, wherein the ring contacts encircle and electrically couple with the brush contacts, wherein one of the brush contacts or the ring contacts are configured to rotate with the outer tube about the shaft axis relative to the other of the brush contacts or the ring contacts while the brush contacts and the ring contacts remain electrically coupled.
Example 17The surgical instrument of Example 16, wherein the brush contacts and the ring contacts are configured to electrically engage at a location radially outward of the outer tube.
Example 18The surgical instrument of any of Examples 16 through 17, wherein the brush contacts are supported by the outer tube, wherein the ring contacts are supported by a sleeve that encircles the outer tube.
Example 19A surgical instrument, comprising: (a) a body assembly; (b) a shaft assembly extending distally from the body assembly along a shaft axis, wherein the shaft assembly includes an outer tube configured to rotate relative to the body assembly about the shaft axis; (c) an end effector at a distal end of the shaft assembly, wherein the end effector is operable to treat tissue; and (d) a slip ring assembly configured to enable electrical communication between the shaft assembly and the body assembly while permitting relative rotation therebetween, wherein the slip ring assembly comprises: (i) a plurality of brush contacts arranged axially, wherein the brush contacts are spaced apart with non-uniform axial spacing, and (ii) a plurality of ring contacts arranged axially and configured to electrically couple with the brush contacts, wherein the ring contacts are spaced apart with non-uniform axial spacing, wherein the non-uniform axial spacing of the contacts is configured to establish impedances that prevent electrical shorting between non-coupled pairs of the contacts in the presence of fluid, wherein one of the brush contacts or the ring contacts are configured to rotate with the outer tube about the shaft axis relative to the other of the brush contacts or the ring contacts while the brush contacts and the ring contacts remain electrically coupled.
Example 20The surgical instrument of Example 19, wherein the ring contacts include a pair of high-power ring contacts each having a first axial width and a pair of low-power ring contacts each having a second axial width smaller than the first axial width, wherein the high-power ring contacts are spaced apart by a first axial distance and the low-power ring contacts are spaced apart by a second axial distance smaller than the first axial distance.
V. MiscellaneousIt should be understood that any one or more of the teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. described herein may be combined with any one or more of the other teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. that are described herein. The above-described teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. should therefore not be viewed in isolation relative to each other. Various suitable ways in which the teachings herein may be combined will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claims.
Further, any one or more of the teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. described herein may be combined with any one or more of the teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. described in U.S. application Ser. No. 15/934,139, entitled “Surgical Instrument With Compressible Electrical Connector,” filed on Mar. 23, 2018, published as U.S. Pub. No. 2019/0290307 on Sep. 26, 2019, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,842,517 on Nov. 24, 2020; U.S. application Ser. No. 15/934,148, entitled “Seal for Surgical Instrument,” filed on Mar. 23, 2018, published as U.S. Pub. No. 2019/0290308 on Sep. 26, 2019, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,799,257 on Oct. 13, 2020; U.S. application Ser. No. 15/934,160, entitled “Surgical Instrument with Recessed Contacts and Electrically Insulting Barriers,” filed on Mar. 23, 2018, published as U.S. Pub. No. 2019/0290269 on Sep. 26, 2019, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,026,681 on Jun. 8, 2021; U.S. application Ser. No. 15/934,166, entitled “Surgical Instrument with Electrical Contact Under Membrane,” filed on Mar. 23, 2018, published as U.S. Pub. No. 2019/0290270 on Sep. 26, 2019, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,631,860 on Apr. 28, 2020; U.S. application Ser. No. 15/934,173, entitled “Staple Cartridge with Short Circuit Prevention Features,” filed on Mar. 23, 2018, published as U.S. Pub. No. 2019/0290271 on Sep. 26, 2019, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,639,038 on May 5, 2020; and U.S. application Ser. No. 15/934,180, entitled “Surgical Instrument with Capacitive Electrical Interface,” filed on Mar. 23, 2018, published as U.S. Pub. No. 2019/0290272 on Sep. 26, 2019, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,779,828 on Sep. 22, 2020.
It should be appreciated that any patent, publication, or other disclosure material, in whole or in part, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein is incorporated herein only to the extent that the incorporated material does not conflict with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth in this disclosure. As such, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure as explicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflicting material incorporated herein by reference. Any material, or portion thereof, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein, but which conflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth herein will only be incorporated to the extent that no conflict arises between that incorporated material and the existing disclosure material.
Versions of the devices described above may have application in conventional medical treatments and procedures conducted by a medical professional, as well as application in robotic-assisted medical treatments and procedures. By way of example only, various teachings herein may be readily incorporated into a robotic surgical system such as the DAVINCI™ system by Intuitive Surgical, Inc., of Sunnyvale, California. Similarly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various teachings herein may be readily combined with various teachings of any of the following: U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,135, entitled “Articulated Surgical Instrument For Performing Minimally Invasive Surgery With Enhanced Dexterity and Sensitivity,” issued Aug. 11, 1998, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,084, entitled “Remote Center Positioning Device with Flexible Drive,” issued Oct. 6, 1998, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,193, entitled “Automated Endoscope System for Optimal Positioning,” issued Mar. 2, 1999, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,565, entitled “Robotic Arm DLUS for Performing Surgical Tasks,” issued May 15, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 6,783,524, entitled “Robotic Surgical Tool with Ultrasound Cauterizing and Cutting Instrument,” issued Aug. 31, 2004, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,888, entitled “Alignment of Master and Slave in a Minimally Invasive Surgical Apparatus,” issued Apr. 2, 2002, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 7,524,320, entitled “Mechanical Actuator Interface System for Robotic Surgical Tools,” issued Apr. 28, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 7,691,098, entitled “Platform Link Wrist Mechanism,” issued Apr. 6, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 7,806,891, entitled “Repositioning and Reorientation of Master/Slave Relationship in Minimally Invasive Telesurgery,” issued Oct. 5, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 8,844,789, entitled “Automated End Effector Component Reloading System for Use with a Robotic System,” issued Sep. 30, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 8,820,605, entitled “Robotically-Controlled Surgical Instruments,” issued Sep. 2, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 8,616,431, entitled “Shiftable Drive Interface for Robotically-Controlled Surgical Tool,” issued Dec. 31, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 8,573,461, entitled “Surgical Stapling Instruments with Cam-Driven Staple Deployment Arrangements,” issued Nov. 5, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 8,602,288, entitled “Robotically-Controlled Motorized Surgical End Effector System with Rotary Actuated Closure Systems Having Variable Actuation Speeds,” issued Dec. 10, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 9,301,759, entitled “Robotically-Controlled Surgical Instrument with Selectively Articulatable End Effector,” issued Apr. 5, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 8,783,541, entitled “Robotically-Controlled Surgical End Effector System,” issued Jul. 22, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 8,479,969, entitled “Drive Interface for Operably Coupling a Manipulatable Surgical Tool to a Robot,” issued Jul. 9, 2013; U.S. Pat. No. 8,800,838, entitled “Robotically-Controlled Cable-Based Surgical End Effectors,” issued Aug. 12, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; and/or U.S. Pat. No. 8,573,465, entitled “Robotically-Controlled Surgical End Effector System with Rotary Actuated Closure Systems,” issued Nov. 5, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Versions of the devices described above may be designed to be disposed of after a single use, or they can be designed to be used multiple times. Versions may, in either or both cases, be reconditioned for reuse after at least one use. Reconditioning may include any combination of the steps of disassembly of the device, followed by cleaning or replacement of particular pieces, and subsequent reassembly. In particular, some versions of the device may be disassembled, and any number of the particular pieces or parts of the device may be selectively replaced or removed in any combination. Upon cleaning and/or replacement of particular parts, some versions of the device may be reassembled for subsequent use either at a reconditioning facility, or by a user immediately prior to a procedure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that reconditioning of a device may utilize a variety of techniques for disassembly, cleaning/replacement, and reassembly. Use of such techniques, and the resulting reconditioned device, are all within the scope of the present application.
By way of example only, versions described herein may be sterilized before and/or after a procedure. In one sterilization technique, the device is placed in a closed and sealed container, such as a plastic or TYVEK bag. The container and device may then be placed in a field of radiation that can penetrate the container, such as gamma radiation, x-rays, or high-energy electrons. The radiation may kill bacteria on the device and in the container. The sterilized device may then be stored in the sterile container for later use. A device may also be sterilized using any other technique known in the art, including but not limited to beta or gamma radiation, ethylene oxide, or steam.
Having shown and described various embodiments of the present invention, further adaptations of the methods and systems described herein may be accomplished by appropriate modifications by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. Several of such potential modifications have been mentioned, and others will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For instance, the examples, embodiments, geometrics, materials, dimensions, ratios, steps, and the like discussed above are illustrative and are not required. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be considered in terms of the following claims and is understood not to be limited to the details of structure and operation shown and described in the specification and drawings.
Claims
1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
- (a) a body assembly;
- (b) a shaft assembly extending distally from the body assembly along a shaft axis, wherein the shaft assembly includes an outer tube configured to rotate relative to the body assembly about the shaft axis;
- (c) an end effector at a distal end of the shaft assembly, wherein the end effector is operable to treat tissue; and
- (d) an electrical connector configured to enable electrical communication between the shaft assembly and the body assembly while permitting relative rotation therebetween, wherein the electrical connector comprises: (i) a first electrical contact, (ii) a second electrical contact, and (iii) an electrically insulating element, wherein each of the first and second electrical contacts is positioned radially outward of the outer tube with the first electrical contact longitudinally spaced apart from the second electrical contact and the electrically insulating element positioned therebetween, wherein the electrically insulating element is configured to electrically insulate the first and second electrical contacts from each other.
2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the electrical connector further comprises a radial protrusion that supports the electrically insulating element.
3. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the electrical connector further comprises a third electrical contact configured to be in electrical communication with the first electrical contact, wherein the third electrical contact is positioned along the shaft assembly.
4. The surgical instrument of claim 3, wherein the first electrical contact is proximal to the second electrical contact, wherein the third electrical contact is configured to translate past the second electrical contact during assembly of the surgical instrument, wherein the electrical connector includes a radial protrusion that supports the electrically insulating element and is configured to contact the third electrical contact during assembly of the surgical instrument.
5. The surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein the radial protrusion includes a chamfer configured to facilitate sliding of the third electrical contact over the radial protrusion.
6. The surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein the third electrical contact includes a chamfer configured to facilitate sliding of the third electrical contact over the radial protrusion.
7. The surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the third electrical contact is configured to move radially translate relative to the shaft axis when in contact with the radial protrusion.
8. The surgical instrument of claim 7, wherein a portion of the third electrical contact is a spring configured to radially deflect when in contact with the radial protrusion.
9. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the electrical connector is a portion of a slip ring assembly disposed at a proximal end of the shaft assembly.
10. The surgical instrument of claim 9, wherein a proximal end of the shaft assembly further comprises a nozzle, wherein the slip ring assembly is housed within the nozzle.
11. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the first and second electrical contacts are ring contacts positioned coaxially with the outer tube.
12. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the electrically insulating element includes an O-ring.
13. A surgical instrument, comprising:
- (a) a body assembly including a first electrical assembly having a first pair of electrical contacts;
- (b) a shaft assembly extending distally from the body assembly along a shaft axis and including a second electrical assembly having a second pair of electrical contacts, wherein the shaft assembly is rotatable relative to the body assembly about the shaft axis while the second electrical assembly remains in electrical communication with the first electrical assembly; and
- (c) an end effector at a distal end of the shaft assembly, wherein the end effector is operable to treat tissue;
- wherein at least one of the first electrical assembly or the second electrical assembly includes an electrically insulating element positioned between the electrical contacts of the respective first pair or second pair of electrical contacts,
- wherein the electrically insulating element is configured to electrically insulate the electrical contacts of the respective first pair or second pair of electrical contacts from each other.
14. The surgical instrument of claim 13, wherein the first electrical assembly includes the electrically insulating element.
15. The surgical instrument of claim 13, wherein a first electrical contact of the first electrical assembly is proximal to a second electrical contact of the first electrical assembly, wherein a first electrical contact of the second electrical assembly is configured to translate past the second electrical contact of the first electrical assembly during assembly of the surgical instrument, wherein the electrically insulating element includes a radial protrusion configured to contact the first electrical contact of the second electrical assembly during assembly of the surgical instrument.
16. The surgical instrument of claim 15, wherein the radial protrusion includes a chamfer configured to facilitate sliding of the first electrical contact of the second electrical assembly over the radial protrusion.
17. The surgical instrument of claim 15, wherein the first electrical contact of the second electrical assembly includes a chamfer configured to facilitate sliding of the first electrical contact of the second electrical assembly over the radial protrusion.
18. The surgical instrument of claim 13, wherein the first electrical contact of the second electrical assembly includes a spring configured to radially project a contact portion of the first electrical contact of the second electrical assembly towards the first electrical contact of the first electrical assembly.
19. A surgical instrument, comprising:
- (a) a body assembly;
- (b) a shaft assembly extending distally from the body assembly along a shaft axis, wherein the shaft assembly is configured to rotate relative to the body assembly about the shaft axis;
- (c) an end effector at a distal end of the shaft assembly, wherein the end effector is operable to treat tissue; and
- (d) an electrical connector configured to enable electrical communication between the shaft assembly and the body assembly while permitting relative rotation therebetween, wherein the electrical connector comprises: (i) a first electrical contact, (ii) a second electrical contact, and (iii) an electrically insulating element positioned between the first and second electrical contacts, wherein the electrically insulating element is configured to electrically insulate the first and second electrical contacts from each other.
20. The surgical instrument of claim 19, wherein the electrically insulating element is configured to electrically insulate the first and second electrical contacts from each other when an electrically conductive fluid is present between the first and second electrical contacts.
5391166 | February 21, 1995 | Eggers |
5699406 | December 16, 1997 | Liikanen |
7887530 | February 15, 2011 | Zemlok |
10631860 | April 28, 2020 | Bakos |
10631861 | April 28, 2020 | Shelton, IV |
10639038 | May 5, 2020 | Scott |
10765427 | September 8, 2020 | Shelton, IV |
10779828 | September 22, 2020 | Shelton, IV |
10799257 | October 13, 2020 | Worthington |
10842517 | November 24, 2020 | Posey |
11439393 | September 13, 2022 | Shelton, IV |
20070221497 | September 27, 2007 | Egawa |
20090090763 | April 9, 2009 | Zemlok |
20110192884 | August 11, 2011 | Whitman |
20120071866 | March 22, 2012 | Kerr |
20130131650 | May 23, 2013 | Whitman |
20150108201 | April 23, 2015 | Williams |
20150316431 | November 5, 2015 | Collins |
20150351765 | December 10, 2015 | Valentine |
20160265938 | September 15, 2016 | Hryb |
20190290307 | September 26, 2019 | Posey |
Type: Grant
Filed: Aug 10, 2022
Date of Patent: Jun 4, 2024
Patent Publication Number: 20230059154
Assignee: Cilag GmbH International (Zug)
Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV (Hillsboro, OH), Jason L. Harris (Lebanon, OH), David C. Yates (West Chester, OH), Chester O. Baxter, III (Loveland, OH), Gregory J. Bakos (Mason, OH)
Primary Examiner: Scott A Smith
Application Number: 17/884,800
International Classification: A61B 17/072 (20060101); A61B 17/32 (20060101); A61B 17/00 (20060101); A61B 17/068 (20060101); A61B 17/29 (20060101); H01R 35/02 (20060101);